Improvement in machinery for making rope and cordage



NVENTOS."

JESSES:

N, PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTUN. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AEAD WOODWOETH, an, OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND GEORGE CHAM- EERLIN, OE OLEAN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FORMAKING ROPEAND CORDAGE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.l 12,016, dated November' 28, 1854.

To coll whom t may concern:l

Be it known that we, ABAD WOODWOETH, 3d, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, and GEORGE CHAM- BERLIN, of Olean, in the county of Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Making Cordage, Rope, dto., or Spinning other Fibrous Materials; and we do hereby declare that the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, hereinafter referred to, forms a full and exact specification of the same, wherein we have set forth the nature and principles of our said improvements, by which our invention may be distinguished from others of a similar class, together with such parts as we claim and desire to have secured to us by Letters Patent.

The figures of the accompanying plates of drawings represent our improvements.

In Plate 1, Figure l is a plan or top View of our machine. In Plate 2, Fig. 2 is a side ele-l vation of the same. In Plate 3, Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line A B, Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line C D. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section taken in the plane of the line E F, Fig. I. Fig. 6 is a vertical section showing some of the parts in detail, to be hereinafter referred to.

Various machines have heretofore been devised for. twisting the yarns, laying up the strands, tbc., of cordage without the aid of a long rope-walk; but no machine has been constructed prior to our invention in which so strong and evenly-formed a rope could be made as by the rope-walks which have here- -tofore been necessary and are now extensively employed. In all these different machines the strands as fast as formed were immediately laid up into rope, and then drawn through by the reel on which the rope was coiled. By this method the strands in laying up or twisting up would necessarily relinquish and lose a portion of the twist which was originally received by each, and consequently form a loosely-twisted rope.

' Thedistinguishing feature -of our invention by which this objection is obviated consists in preventing the twist lirst given to the strands from being taken out in laying them up into rope by causing the strand and the laying-up devices to revolve in the same directionand at the same time, thereby forming a rope in which the strands retain the same amount of twist that they first received by the twisting machinery. Thusit will be seen that the hardness of the rope is entirely dependent upon the amount of twist lirst received by the strands, and as in our machine the strands can be twisted more or less at pleasure the machine can readily be adapted to forming all the different kinds of cordage.

7e have made various otherimprovements for insuring a uniformity in the twisting of the yarns and for the successful performance of the work in general, which will be hereinafter -alluded to and fully explained.

A A A A in the drawings represent the supporting frame work of the machine. There are three sets of spoolframes,each set consisting of three spool-frames C C B B D D, and each spool-frame containing two spools E E F F G G, or a greater number, according to the size of the rope to be made. As the construction and operation of each set of spool-frames are precisely similar, the description of one set will suffice for the whole.

The spool-frames B B C C D D are placed upon journals in the two end plates H I, the spools being insertedin these frames, as shown in the drawings. A hollow shaft K extends through the plates II I and forms a center' around which the spool-frames revolve, each spool-frame having a motion upon its own journals in the plates H. I and also a motion in common with the others around the shaft K.

The revolution about the center shaft K, the plates II Ibeing keyed to the same, is derived from the main driving-shaft L through the gears M M M M. (Shown in Fig. 3, Plate 3.) The motion of each spool-frame upon itsy journals is obtained as follows: To the box N, which constitutes one of the bearings of the center shaft K, is attached a stationary gear O, Fig. 3, Plate 3, that engages with a pinion P, turning upon a short shaft attached to one of the end plates II. The pinion P engages with a pinion Q, fastenedto the end of one of the journals of the spool-frame B B, and thus gives motion to the said spool-frame. To the other journal of the spool-frame B B, opposite to that upon which the pinion Q is placed, is attached a small bevel-gear R, Fig. 4, Plate 3, which engages with a similar gear S, placed at right angles to the gear R upon a short shaft T, having in its otherrvend a similargear U, which engages with a bevel-gearV, placed upon one of the journals ofthe next spooll frame C C, whlch thus receives a revolving motion. To the journal of 'the spool-frame C C opposite to that upon which the geail V is placed is attached a bevel-gear XV, engaging with a similar gear X, attached to the short shaft Y, upon the end of which is another bevel-gear Z, engaging with a similar gear a', attached to one of the journals of the last spool-frame D D. Thus the motion of the spool-frame B B upon its journals causes the other spool-frames C C and D D to revolve upon their journals by means of the bevelgears, as described, and the revolution of the plates H I, which sustain the journals of the said spool-frames and gives them a common revolution around their center shaft K.

XVe shall next proceed to describe the manner in which the threads are drawn from each spool, conducted through the spool-frames, and formed into strands.

The threads upon the spools E E of the spool-frame B B are represented by blue lines in the drawings and pass from the said spools through theV hollow journal of their spoolframe and through two holes of the proper size formed in the bevel-gear R,thencethrough two holes in the bevel-gear S, placed at right angles to the gear R, as hereinbefore stated, through the holes in the bevel-gears U and V. The two threads then pass through the hollow journal of the next spool-frame C C, through the whole length of the said spoolframe C C, (in the opposite direction to that in which they were conducted through the first spool-frame B B,) in company with but not connected to the two threads, (represented by red lines on the drawings,) on the spools F F. The four threads ar'e conducted through t the hollow of the spool-frame C C and pass separately through four holes in each of the bevel-gears )V X, the position of which has hereinbefore been explained, to the bevel-gear Z, through four holes in the bevel-gear A', placed on the hollow journal of the third spoolframe D D. The four threads then pass through this hollowjournal of the spoolframe D D and. through the whole length of the said spool-frame D D, (in the-opposite direction to that in which they7 were conducted through the second spool-frame C C, and in the same direction as that in which they passed through the first spool-frame B B, in company with but not connected to the two threads shown by yellow lines in the drawings on the spools G G, making six threads which pass through the hollow journal of the last spool-frame D D and through a tube attached to the same for smoothing the fibers, as shown in Fig. 6, Plate 3. The threadswhile passing from one spool-frame to another, receive a draft upon each separately and are prevented from becoming entangled or twisted into a strand until they all pass together out of the last spool-frame by the peculiar operation4 of the bevel-gears through which they pass. As the two gears of each set are placed at right angles to each other, each thread in passing from the hole in one gear to the hole in the other receives a drawing motion, as the holes in the two gears through which it is conducted are by the motion of the said gears carried alternately toward and away from each other, the holes as they recede from each other creating a draft upon and tightening the thread, and as they approach each other allowing the thread to slacken, thereby preventing the threads from becoming entangled or twisted, as the thread between the two holes which are nearest to each other will pass under the other tight thread orthreads which are passing between the more remote holes of the two gears. v

By the above-described peculiar manner of conducting the threads of which the strand is to be composed through the spool-frames and preventing` their becoming twisted before they are all collected together a great number of threads for forming the strand can be obtained without the necessity which has heretofore occurred in machines for similar work of causing the spools to occupy a large space, whereby they are susceptible only of a comparatively slow revolution. By our arrangement, as the spool-frames in which the spools are placed occupy but little space and describe in their revolution only a circle of small diameter, they can be revolved very quickly, and thus insure the rapid formation of the strands. f

The threads from all the spools in each set of spool-frames after passing through the hollow journal of the last spool-frames D D are twisted into a strand (shown at b in the drawings) by the revolution of the said spoolframe upon its axis. The strand Z1 is then conducted over the pulleys c cl of the guide f', attached to and revolving with the center shaft K, and then passes through this shaft K, made hollow for the purpose, and out at the end of the same, as shown in Fig. 6, Plate 3. The hardness of the strand, it will be evident, can be Varied at pleasure. Each spoolframe, for instance, may make three revolutions upon its journals while -they all revolve once upon their common center, and as the relative rates of these `respective revolutions may be varied at pleasure by removing the pinion and inserting a larger or smaller one in its place a corresponding variety may be produced in the amount of twist given tothe strand. The strand then makes a turn around 'a small pulley g', set in a frame or box h', which is attached directly to the end of the center-shaft K and revolv-es with the said shaft. The pulley g', besides this revolution withv the shaft K, has a revolution upon its own axis, so as to draw out the strand by means of the bevel-gear t', placed on the shaft of the pulley g. The gear t', by its revolution with the box 71, and by engaging with the,

lixed gear K gives the pulley g a revolution on its axis. The strand then passes through the hollow journal of the box 71,. The three strands being thus formed all converge onto the top m', pass throughv the tube n', and are laid up into rope by a pulley o', which has a revolution upon its own shaft inserted in a box p', which makes one revolution at the same time and in the same direction that the box 7i', which sustains the pulley g', revolves, so that the laying-up motion is precisely the same as that of the strand. Thus the boxp and the reel 1 o", revolving together in the same direction and in the same time as the box 7L', produces a revolution upon the strand in the same direction as it revolves when laying up into a rope, thereby preventing any loss of twist to the strand in the process of forming the rope by the laying-up operation.

The revolution of the pulley 0 upon its axis is obtained by the bevel-gear m, fixed upon the said axisl that engages with a fixed bevelgear n2. The revolution of the box p', which carries the pulley 0, is derived from the gears q q q q q', (shown in Fig. 1,Plate l, and Fig. 2, Plate 2,) which also gives motion to the frame r r', in which the reel s for winding up the rope as fast as made is placed. The reel s has, besides its revolution with the frame r r', a revolution upon its shaft t', the

bearings of whichy are in the said fram/e obtained by the friotion-wheel n3 on the shaft t, traveling against a stationary friction-ring t. The friction-wheel n3, thus traveling on the friction-ring e', prevents the reel s from turning at varying velocities or drawing'out the rope faster at one time than another.

rihe rope is guided onto the reel so as to lform an even coil by passing through a nut w', which has a traveling motion across the frame o" r by the revolution of a screw-shaft y, that receives its motion from the reel-shaft th rough the pinions X X X X.

In the machines which have heretofore been devised for making cordage the strands, as soon as formed, were laid up into rope without any intermediate step; but in laying up, which is the natural position that strands will take or coil themselves into when brought together, they will necessarily relinquish or lose a portion of the twist they originally received, and thereby form a loosely-twisted rope. The only means adopted in these machines of overcomin g this objection of a loosely-twisted rope has been to twist the strands very hard, so that the extra twist thus given to the strands may in some degree compensate for what is lost or taken out in laying them up but this method of overcoming the difficulty strains and weakens the fibers and forms an uneven rope and one' which will kink or coil itself up when finished. In our machine the twist received byeach strand is prevented from being taken out, as the laying-up roll or pulley o makes one revolu- ,tion at the same time and in the same direction that the drawing-out pulley of each strand makes one revolution, and thus the laying-up movement cannot take any yof the twist out of the strand, as it docs not act against or in opposition to the direction of the twist of the same.

By this improvement, which constitutes the most essential feature of our invention, we are enabled to lay up a rope in which each strand retains the same amount of twist that itA received at iirst by the twisting machinery, and this desideratum is obtained, as will be seen from the foregoing description, without giving an undue twist to the strands or straining the fibers in any degree. The amount of twist received by the strands can be varied, independently of the speed of the spoolframes, by varying the size of the drawing outl pulleys g g g and o', and consequently the speed with which the strands will be drawn out.

It will be evident that any number of strands can be formed by our machine by increasing the number of sets of spool-frames, and that our machine, with slight modifications, can also be adapted to forming the yarns of which the threads are composed or for spinning almost any kind of fibrous material.

By the above-described manner of produc ing a draft upon the strands by the drawing out pulleys g g g before they are laid up, and drawing out the rope by the pulleyo it will be seen that all the strands will receive a uniform degree of tension, and thus a rope will be formed in whichall the strands are in a precisely similar condition, both with regard to their twist and tension, the importance of which in making an evenly-twisted rope will readily be apparent.

In order to produce the same amount of tension in all the strands, it is important that the drawing or draft pulley o should be of about the same size as the first drawing-out pulleys g g g', so that the pulley o shall not draw out faster or slower than the other pulleys.

Having thus described our improvements, what we claim as our invention, and desire to have secured to us by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of the bevel-gears or their equivalents, with their guiding holes for conducting each thread arranged outside of the center of the said gears, as set forth, whereby a draft is created upon each thread separately, and the threads in the several spool-frames are prevented from being twisted or formed into strands until they are all ing machinery, thus forming` an even and brought together and drawn out of the last hard twisted rope. spool-frame, as hereinabove stated. ARAD VVOODVVORTH, 3D.

2. Giving the strands after they are formed GEORGE CHAMBERLIN. arcvolntion at the same time and in the same Witnesses to signature of Arad fooddirection that the laying-up machinery re- Worth, 3d: volves, by means, substantially as above de- JOSEPH GAVETT, scribed, for the purpose of preventing the i F. R. LINCOLN. twist first given from being partially lost. or fit-nesses to signature of George Chamtaken out by the process of laying them up, berlin: by which each strand retains the same amount A. J. SCOFIELD, of twist that was imparted to it by the twist- STANLEY MARTIN. 

